Philip Hammond is being pressured to halt the steep rise in business rates planned for next year

The umbrella organisation say the Treasury supremo should pay for it by delaying a scheduled cut in Corporation Tax from 19% to 17% until after Brexit.

The hated new business rates rise – confirmed last week with the latest inflation figures – will slap an extra £1.1billion tax bill on Britain’s companies, big and small.

BCC Director General Dr Adam Marshal said: “It would be unconscionable for the government to use September’s inflation figures to slam businesses with a huge rise in rates, particularly when they already face spiralling up-front costs”.

The Federation of Small Businesses is also urging the Chancellor to boost digital connectivity Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said: “The UK has slower download speeds than Romania, Bulgaria and Thailand.